Do You Have Multiple Sclerosis Pain?

There are so many different ways in which multiple sclerosis pain manifests itself that I’m sometimes surprised that it took so long for MS doctors and researchers to recognize MS pain as a justified symptom.

MS pain can come in forms from expected and understandable (think pins and needles) to shocking and debilitating, as in trigeminal neuralgia (sometimes called MS face pain) and anywhere in between.

I’ve written a few blogs about MS pain, including one about the sizzling skin pain I sometimes endure after a particularly powerful sneeze. As always, this group was immensely helpful in talking the entire community through the issue.

As the symptom of pain has only now become wholly recognized as something with which we live, and understanding that some in our community still see doctors who deny the existence of MS pain, I thought I’d bring up the topic for further discussion.

The National MS Society sites a study in which 55 percent of people living with MS report “clinically significant pain” and 48 percent experience chronic pain from their multiple sclerosis. That’s a far cry from just a decade or so back when many heard “MS does not cause pain”!

There are, of course, some medications that can help with pain, but other treatments also work to lessen MS pain:

Acupuncture or acupressure, massage, and yoga are often listed as non-prescription pain management options, but cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) has also shown great promise for people living with MS.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Trevis Gleason

Trevis L. Gleason is a food journalist and published author, an award-winning chef and culinary instructor who has taught at institutions such as Cornell University, New England Culinary Institute and...read more